


Hats Off for Christmas

by Amuly



Category: Marvel 616, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, Drunkenness, Fluff, Humor, M/M, references to alcoholism (Tony's)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-19
Updated: 2013-12-19
Packaged: 2018-01-05 03:28:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1089067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amuly/pseuds/Amuly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve and Tony sneak away from the Avengers Christmas party to celebrate in their own way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hats Off for Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a pinch-hit for [SteveTonyFest](http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/stevetonyfest), this is for [allthewonderfulstony](http://www.allthewonderfulstony.tumblr.com). Based on [sirdef's](http://sirdef.tumblr.com/) [amazing art](http://sirdef.tumblr.com/post/70322611893).

 

Removing himself to a corner as the party wore on, Tony was able to watch his friends and teammates rabble rouse and carry on (not just a few of them getting tipsier by the minute) without feeling the need to indulge himself. At least, not feel the need any more than was expected this time of year, with the warm eggnog and champagne being passed around like sports drinks in the Avengers training room. Tony watched Carol helping herself to her fourth eggnog of the night and wondered how she kept all those fatty calories off her thighs. Maybe something to do with Kree DNA, or youth, or some combination of the two. Tony certainly couldn't get away with indulging like that, alcoholically or not. He smoothed at his sides self-consciously. No love handles to speak of... yet.

“Party getting to be too much for you?”

Steve slipped in next to Tony, tucking himself up alongside Tony's arm like it was where he was meant to be. He was still wearing that ridiculous Santa outfit Jan had coerced him into, all batting eyelashes and baby blues. Normally Steve wasn't susceptible to such womanly wiles, but it was Jan who asked. Pretty much everyone was susceptible to Jan.

Pretending like he was being subtle but knowing he wasn't fooling anybody, Tony leaned into Steve, letting their shoulders brush. “Not yet. Just taking a breath. How about you?”

Glancing down at himself and his bright red outfit, Steve turned to Tony with a smile. “I think I have a little bit more jolly left in me.”

Tony glanced meaningfully at Steve's groin. “As I recall, you've got a more than a _little_ jolly left in you. Or were you just happy to see me?”

Steve flushed and shifted, turning his head resolutely back to the party before them. “You were squirming around on purpose and you know it,” he grumbled.

Tony shrugged and didn't deny the accusation, instead opting to take a sip of his seltzer water and change the subject. “You see Jess? She's been talking Thor's ear off. What do you think?”

Steve frowned as he very seriously mulled over this idle gossip. “Is he still stepping out with Dr. Foster? I can't remember.”

“They're on a break. Oo! Bacon, over here.” Tony waved over a waiter carrying a platter of bacon wrapped scallops. Tony accepted a napkin and piled it ten-high with the appetizers, then shooed the man away. He popped one into his mouth first, then proffered the napkin to Steve. The big guy would end up eating eight out of ten of them without realizing it, so long as Tony kept making sure he was eating. It's why he had grabbed so many in the first place.

“What's your bet? Ten to one against Jess?” Tony prompted.

Just then, Carol stumbled into the scene, draping herself across Jessica and laughing uproariously directly into her ear. Jessica Drew winced and side-eyed her friend.

“ _Where's Wanda_?” Carol asked, much too loud. Jessica turned to Carol and said something too quietly for Tony to make out. Whatever it was, Carol was disagreeing vehemently with it, blonde hair swiping across her face as she shook her head.

“I'm going to text her,” Carol announced. Jessica's eyes went wide and she grabbed for Carol, who was already stumbling away. Carol laughed and darted off, fumbling her cell phone from her back pocket and holding it aloft. Jessica darted after her again, and Carol ran away some more, laughing as she held her phone up and tried to type. They ended up collapsed against the far wall, Jessica pinning Carol to the wall with one arm and stealing her phone away with the other. Carol was reaching after her phone and pouting mightily, but thankfully was remaining depowered for the time being. Tony relaxed fractionally, not having realized he had tensed.

A nudge to his shoulder. Tony glanced over at Steve, who was smiling casually at him. Tony knew that smile, and only just refrained from rolling his eyes. It was Steve's “I'm-casually-diverting-Tony's-attention-from-alcohol” smile. And yes: Steve really did have a smile _just_ for that.

“Wanna get out of here,” Steve suggested, “before the party gets too wild? I can think of some better things to do than watch Carol and Jessica strike out.” Steve's voice got low at the end, his blue eyes darker and glinting suggestively. Tony shivered and licked his lips. And that right there was why he never called Steve on his diversionary tactics: they usually worked out pretty damn well in Tony's favor.

“Can't say no to that,” Tony agreed. He popped one last scallop in his mouth and then shoved the rest at Steve, who only ended up abandoning them on a serving tray. Tony sighed: he had at least _tried_ to make sure Steve was well-fed.

Even though their sneaking was definitely A plus level stealthy, somehow the two men were out-flanked by Jan just inside the door. She grinned, obviously delighted that she had interrupted their escape.

“And where are you two boys off to so early?” Jan teased. “We haven't even gotten to any of the _really good_ party games.”

Tony took Jan's hands in his and kissed them both in turn, making her giggle coquettishly. He then clasped her hands to his chest mournfully. “My dear, normally I would love nothing more than to sit around and challenge your undefeated wit at Cards Against Humanity, but we've got a problem that needs solving.” Glancing around secretively, Tony leaned in to Jan, who mimicked his body language eagerly. “I noticed an abundance of jolly in Steve's Santa pants when I was sitting in his lap earlier. I'm afraid such a situation needs to be examined. Thoroughly. Hopefully I can figure out a way to make the swelling go down.”

Jan freed her hands from Tony's so she could smack him playfully, nose crinkled up in delight. “Tony!” she gasped.

“ _Tony_ ,” Steve groaned. He was pinching the bridge of his nose. Oh no. _Nose-bridge pinching_. Tony grinned. He was going to get it, now.

“Well, I'll leave you boys to it, then.” Jan sighed wistfully. “I'm afraid no party game I could ever devise would compete with _that_.”

“It's a losing battle,” Tony agreed. He kissed Jan on both cheeks, then passed her off to Steve who gave her a hug. She gave a little twiddly wave with her fingertips before she left them to return to the party. Tony slipped his arm into Steve's and nodded away from the bright lights and noise toward the interior of the mansion.

“Shall we?”

Steve sighed and allowed himself to be dragged off. “Apparently I've got a _condition_ that needs looking after, so I guess I'd better follow you. You're an expert, right?”

Tony grinned as they reached his bedroom door. “I don't know: you tell me.”

They tumbled into Tony's room together, hands already grabbing, lips already connected. Tony kissed Steve back hungrily, moaning low in his throat as Steve's tongue tangled with his, his lips sucking lightly against Tony's. Something knocked against Tony's forehead and he glanced up. Then he laughed and pushed at Steve's chest, pulling away from him just slightly.

“What?” Steve grumbled.

Tony laughed again and shook his head. Finally he nodded up at Steve's head. “The Santa hat,” he explained. Steve's eyes went slightly crossed as he tried to catch a glimpse of his own head. Then he reached up and plucked the hat from himself, frowning slightly.

“I don't look handsome in it?”

Tony laughed and grabbed for the hat, tossing it to the far corners of his bedroom once Steve relinquished it. “Much to my constant displeasure, or pleasure, depending how I'm feeling that day and how many times you've gotten me off, you _always_ look handsome, you asshole.” Steve snorted as Tony captured his lips again and resumed walking backwards towards his bed. Steve followed like the good pup he was, hands roving Tony's body as their lips met in a series of _smacks_.

“Therein lies the problem,” Tony continued to explain as he sat himself down on his bed. He undid his tie and started on his shirt as Steve stood above him and started shucking his Santa costume.

“How?” Steve prompted. He tugged off the boots far too gracefully for a six foot muscle-bound man hopping from one foot to the next in bright red velvet pants. He made it look like a fucking ice-dancing routine, it was so elegant. Tony threw his shirt to the side and reached out to drag Steve forward by his big shiny belt buckle. Tony caught Steve's eye as he stared up at him.

“I'm against me developing a Santa fetish. Would be horrible to try and explain to the kiddies every Christmas. Approval ratings would plummet.”

Steve laughed and leaned down, cupping Tony's face between his two big palms. “No hat,” he agreed. Then he kissed Tony and they fell to the bed together, giggling like a couple of naughty schoolboys.

Afterwards, Tony lay with his chin against Steve's chest, watching the snowflakes as they fell silently against his window. Steve was breathing deeply, barrel of a chest rising and falling slowly as he settled into sleep. Before he did, Tony pressed a kiss to his sweat-slick skin and murmured “Merry Christmas, Steve.”

In return, Tony found himself wrapped up in Steve's arms and a kiss buried in his messy hair. “Merry Christmas, Tony.”

  
  



End file.
